The will says I’m the Personal Representative/or Executor, but I have no idea what that means.

Nobody is speaking to me anymore, they think I’m the bad guy, but I’m just doing what dad wanted.

My brother keeps asking me when he gets his share of mom’s money, but he didn’t even pitch in for the funeral.

I’m doing what mom wanted, but my brother is threatening to sue me.

Please accept our condolences on your loss. The Pinder Plotkin Legal Team understands that this is an emotional time and our team is here to help.

The first step to administer an estate is to locate the decedent’s will, if any. If there is a will, there should be a personal representative (or executor) named in the will. That is the person nominated by the decedent to administer their estate. In some estates, another person, generally a family member will act as the personal representative. Life happens and the personal representative may have moved far away (impractical for them to serve) or they are no longer eligible due to health or other concerns. If there is no will, someone will need to step up to the plate and volunteer to be the personal representative. This is often a relative of the deceased person.

With great power, comes great responsibility and the Personal Representative may be personally liable for his/her actions in administering an estate. Let your “legal team” assist you throughout the estate administration process.

The next step in administering an estate is gathering information on the decedent’s assets and liabilities by the personal representative (executor) of the estate. If you have limited information on the decadent’s financial affairs, checking the mail is a great resource to find information. Financial institutions are turning away from mailing information and turning to e-mail notices and statements, so the mail is only one tool in the personal representative’s tool belt. This step helps us determine whether a small estate (less than $50,000) or regular estate (more than $50,000) should be set up. If the only heir is a spouse a small estate can be used for assets up to $100,000.

Now that you: (1) have found the will or determined that no will exists and (2) have a basic understanding of the decedent’s assets (you will learn more throughout the estate process), you are ready to petition the Register of Wills to open an estate. The estate process generally lasts six to nine months, but some estates can last much longer.

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Estate litigation can be a very emotional process, we do our best to take the emotion out of decisions and present you with practical solutions to minimize cost and time necessary to achieve your desired result.

Estate litigation can be a very emotional process, we do our best to take the emotion out of decisions and present you with practical solutions to minimize the cost and time necessary to achieve your desired result.

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We approach every case with energy and a “bull dog determination” in order to help you through any day to day concerns, questions, or details of your case.

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The information provided in this website is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject. No attorney-client relationship is formed until a case is accepted by our office and a fee agreement is signed.